Massages feel great and make you feel like you’re walking on air for a day or two afterwards. These aren’t the only benefits of going for a regular treatment, though, there are lots of other advantages.
Regular massage can help to correct problems
Massage therapists don’t just give you a rub-down, they are trained to notice tight ligaments, old injuries, postural issues and poor circulation, as well as to use specific techniques to work on them. They also assess how effective their methods are and to make sure you’re improving.
Massages reduce stress
Stress reduction is one of the best effects of regular massages. You feel calmer, more robust and more able to think clearly. Your levels of emotional and physical tension and stress are reduced and this has the knock-on effect of boosting your immune system and helping you to sleep. Your levels of cortisol, adrenaline and all the other stress hormones fall, too.
About your immune system…
Once your stress hormones drop, your immune system has a chance to do its thing properly. You’ll also find your lymph system is working more effectively because of the physical side of the massage.
Massage improves your mental acuity
When you relax for more than a few minutes, your mind performs better and you may well find that you sort out the solutions to thorny problems or simply decide that some things aren’t problems at all.
Massage works on your muscles
Massage can stretch muscles, helping them to elongate and loosen. This can help to combat adhesions and stretch ligaments, helping limbs to achieve their full length and flexibility. It also increases the blood flow to muscles and extremities, bringing extra oxygen and nutrients to them.
More joint flexibility
By reducing muscle tension and lengthening ligaments, you’ll find that your range of motion increases, or your regular movement are less painful or achey.
Massage can improve posture
Massage can loosen muscles in the neck, shoulders and lower back, which tend to be the most common problem areas when it comes to posture. These tightened areas can pull the rest of the body out of balance and cause lumbar problems and frozen shoulder, as well as mysterious and intractable headaches.
Massage can improve your skin tone
A surprising benefit is improved skin tone. Just by increasing the blood circulation to the skin, massage can bring increased blood flow and nutrition to the upper layers of the skin. It can also push out water retention and the attendant sponginess that can develop. Plus, the oils help to moisturise and soften the skin, giving it an extra glow.
You can break some vicious cycles
If you get stressed a lot and tighten your jaw and your shoulders, you’ll probably develop a headache, which in turn makes you hold your neck and head stiffly, perpetuating the cycle. Having a headache makes you stressed and anxious so…you get the picture. Having a treatment that reduces your stress can break this cycle almost immediately.
